Course Description

This 5-day instructor-led course is designed to provide IT professionals with the skills and knowledge required to become Certified Ethical Hackers. Participants will learn to think and act like malicious attackers while building the capability to ethically identify, exploit, and report vulnerabilities in systems and networks. The course follows the latest EC-Council CEH blueprint and combines expert instruction with practical, hands-on labs simulating real-world scenarios. Students will cover reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, privilege escalation, post-exploitation techniques, web app and wireless attacks, cryptography, and more.

Key Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the ethical hacking methodology and legal considerations
• Perform reconnaissance and footprinting using passive and active techniques
• Scan and enumerate network services to discover vulnerabilities
• Exploit common operating system and application flaws
• Conduct privilege escalation and maintain access
• Launch web application, wireless, and cloud-based attacks
• Apply cryptographic principles and understand key encryption flaws
• Use hacking tools and penetration testing frameworks professionally and ethically

Prerequisites

• At least 1 year of experience in information security or systems administration
• Familiarity with TCP/IP, networking protocols, and Windows/Linux systems
• Basic understanding of firewalls, routers, and operating system functions

Course Takeaways

• Comprehensive understanding of the ethical hacking process
• Hands-on experience using professional-grade penetration testing tools
• CEH-aligned practice labs and simulated attacks
• A detailed lab manual and hacking toolkit for post-course practice
• Certificate of completion for the CEH training requirement
• Preparation for the EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) exam

Module 1: Introduction to Ethical Hacking and Cyber Laws

Topics Covered:

• Understanding ethical hacking roles and responsibilities
• Overview of the cyber kill chain and attack lifecycle
• CEH framework and methodology
• Legal and regulatory compliance: GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS
• Rules of engagement and documentation

Hands-On Labs:

• Lab 1: Navigating the CEH lab environment and Kali Linux
• Lab 2: Exploring the MITRE ATT&CK framework
• Lab 3: Launching your first passive reconnaissance

Module 2: Reconnaissance and Scanning Techniques

Topics Covered:

• Passive reconnaissance: WHOIS, OSINT, social engineering
• Active reconnaissance: DNS interrogation, network mapping
• Scanning: TCP/UDP scanning, port scanning, OS fingerprinting
• Vulnerability scanning with tools like Nmap, Nessus, OpenVAS

Hands-On Labs:

• Lab 4: DNS interrogation using nslookup and dig
• Lab 5: Network scanning with Nmap and advanced scanning flags
• Lab 6: Banner grabbing and service enumeration
• Lab 7: Vulnerability scanning with Nessus

Module 3: Gaining Access and Exploitation

Topics Covered:

• Exploiting system and application vulnerabilities
• Password attacks: brute force, dictionary, and rainbow tables
• Buffer overflows and software vulnerabilities
• Malware, trojans, and backdoors
• Metasploit framework usage

Hands-On Labs:

• Lab 8: Using Hydra to brute-force login credentials
• Lab 9: Exploiting vulnerabilities with Metasploit
• Lab 10: Creating and launching reverse shells
• Lab 11: Dropping and controlling a custom Trojan

Module 4: Maintaining Access and Privilege Escalation

Topics Covered:

• Post-exploitation tactics and lateral movement
• Privilege escalation in Linux and Windows
• Clearing logs and anti-forensics techniques
• Persistence mechanisms and rootkits
• Covering tracks and command-and-control channels

Hands-On Labs:

• Lab 12: Local privilege escalation using kernel exploits
• Lab 13: Maintaining access with scheduled tasks and startup scripts
• Lab 14: Installing a persistent backdoor with Netcat
• Lab 15: Simulating lateral movement across networked systems

Module 5: Web App, Wireless, Cloud Attacks and Countermeasures

Topics Covered:

• OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities: XSS, SQLi, CSRF
• Attacking login forms and input validation
• Wireless network security and Wi-Fi attacks
• Cloud security basics and exploitation risks
• Cryptography basics and common encryption flaws

Hands-On Labs:

• Lab 16: Exploiting web app flaws using Burp Suite and OWASP Juice Shop
• Lab 17: Performing SQL injection attacks on a vulnerable site
• Lab 18: Cracking WPA2 Wi-Fi using aircrack-ng
• Lab 19: Performing credential attacks on cloud-based email and storage
• Lab 20: Decrypting hashes and simulating MITM attacks on TLS

Day 5: Practice Exam, Capture-the-Flag (CTF), and Review

Activities:

• CEH practice exam: full simulation with debrief
• Instructor-guided walk-through of complex attack scenarios
• Capture-the-flag team challenge across multi-stage targets
• Final Q&A, certification guidance, and exam readiness tips